Sheet feeding apparatus for printing machines



T. ROWLANDS ET AL ,080,0 0 SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 27, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 //VVE/V T051 2 Tom I? unloads lo/Ia Jbu It]: Ha rfk A ztomeya y 1937- T. ROWLANDS ET AL 2,080,010

' SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 27, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 r- J I I O h! v- A 54-"; i 53 46 v F m v 46 f 37 /NV/V7'0R.

AZTOf/lfya May 11, 1937.

T. RQWLANDS ET AL 2,080,010 SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 27, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 r mi m M A 0 Ra May T. ROWLANDS ET AL 7 2,080,010

SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS. FOR ,RRI-NTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 27 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Attorneys 5:5 in relation to a sheet pile.

Patented May 11, 1937 PATENT OFFICE 2,000,010 snaa'r resume arraaa'rus'ron rauv'rmo moms Tom Bowlands. Timperley,

and John Shuttleworth. Sale. England, asaignors to Linotype and Machinery Limited, London, England dppllcaltgm February 27, 1936, Serial No. 66,094

Great Britain February 28, 1935 5 Claims. (01. 271-26) This invention relates to sheet feeding apparatus for printing machines, and more particularly to apparatus of the kind in which sheets are separated from a pile and fed towards the 5 printing machine in overlapping relationship,

each sheet being advanced from the pile beneath the preceding sheet.

The object of the invention is to provide improved means, operating at the rear edge of the i pile, whereby the sheets may be controlledduring separation and forwarding more effectively than heretofore.

With this object in view. sheet feeding apparatus according to the invention primarily coml prises a plurality of sheet-feeding suction feet horizontally reciprocable in one plane in a direction fore-and-aft of the pile to an extent which can be varied in respect of the individual sheet-feeding feet, and a sheet-separating suc- 20 tion foot wociated with each sheet feeding foot.

movable substantially vertically by which the uppermost sheet of the pile is lifted to a position in which it can be engaged by the sheet-feeding feet. The apparatus may further comprise, when 25 desired, means for tautening the sheet in a direction transverse of the pile by imparting outward movement to suction feet located at respectively opposite sides of' the fore-and-aft centre line of the pile.

30 In carrying out the invention, one sheet-separating foot and one sheet-feeding foot may be conveniently arranged to operate in the vicinity of each rear corner of the pile, the two feet with their operating mechanism being preferably 35 mounted as a unit capable of adjustment relatively to the pile. which unit may further embody additional sheet separating devices for co-operating with the sheet-separating foot.

A preferred constructional form of apparatus 40 according to the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a unit showing a sheet-separating foot and a sheet-feeding foot according to the invention, certain other organs 45 embodied in the unit being omitted;

Figure 2 is an elevation similar to Figure 1. the unit casing being broken away and the sheetseparating and feeding feet omitted; Figure 8.1a a rear elevation of the complete 50 unit;

- Figure 4 is a detail sectional view of the sheetfeeding foot drawn to a larger scale, and

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic end elevation, drawn to a smaller scale, showing two co-operating units The unit represented in Figures 1 to 3, corresponding with that indicated at the left of Figure 5, comprises a casing A carried on a screwed rod B vertically adjustable in a bracket C by means of a handle D. The bracket C is supported by 5 rollers on a rail E extending transversely of the sheet pile F, and is formed with an extension G in which are mounted gears splined respectively to a horizontal transverse driving shaft H and a vertical transmission shaft J which at its lower end is geared to the cam shaft l of the unit. Referring now to Figures 1 and 3, the sheetfeeding foot 2 is carried at the lower end of a rigid suction pipe 3, formed at its upper end to connect with a flexible suction pipe, not shown. The pipe I is vertically adjustable in the forward end of a slide 4 having upstanding lugs 5 embracing a horizontal rod 6 fixed to a side extension I of the casing A. A roller 8 is carried at the side of the slide 4 in a position to engage a cam 9 on the cam shaft I, and a spring Ill acting on the slide constantly tends to hold the roller in contact with the cam. The slide 4 at its underside engages within a groove Ii in the boss of the cam 9, and is thereby held against sidewise movement. For the purpose of controlling the extent of the reciprocating movement of the slide 4, an adjustable stop is provided, in the form of a face cam ii on the forward end of a rod l3 threaded through the bracket extension fl and fitted with a knurled head l4 at its rear end. The cam I2 lies in the rearward path of a pin IS on the forward lug 5 of the slide 4. According to the adjustment of the earn it, therefore, the inoperative stroke of the slide 4 may be limited, the roller 8 being prevented from following the low portions of the cam 9, and the operative stroke of the slide 4 of one unit may be caused to commence later or earlier than that of the slide 4 of the other unit (A Figure 5) at the opposite side of the pile. The adjustment of the cam it of any unit may be effected during the operation of the feeder, thus permitting convenient correction of any inaccuracy as regards the feeding of the sheets squarely to the forwarding devices at the front of the pile.

One convenient way of providing for the beforementioned sheet tautening outward movement of the sheet-feeding foot 2, is illustrated in Figure 4. In the arrangement there shown, the foot 2 is carried. by a piston 2' operating withina substantially horizontal cylindrical suction chamber from the suction pipe l. The piston 2" is urged outwardly .of the chamber i6 by a spring i1,

constituted by the end of a bolt i8 which is threaded into a lug IS on the chamber I6 and passes freely through a lug 20 on the piston 2%. A nut 2| adjustable on the bolt l8 between the two lugs l9 and 20 serves to limit movement of the piston 2 inwardly of the chamber l6. With this arrangement, when the foot 2 is closed by a sheet to be fed forward, the suction in the pipe 3 acts to retract the piston in the chamber it against the action of the the foot to exert a transverse pull on the sheet, and as this transverse pull is exerted simultaneously by the forwarding feet of the two units A, A operating at respectively opposite sides of the pile, each sheet will be tautened transversely before it is fed forward. p The sheet-separating foot 22 comprised in each unit is carried in a casing 23 formed with rearwardly extending brackets 24, 25. The bracket 24-is pivotally connected to one end of a link 26, the opposite end of which is pivoted on a stud 2! fixed to the casing A, and the bracket 25 is pivotally connected to one end of an arm 28 adapted to rock about a shaft tending across the casing.

Between thebracket 25 and the shaft 29 the arm .28 is pivoted to a link 30 which is slotted at tact with the rod 46 as the foot raised to lift 35 to embrace the cam shaft l, and at its upper end carries a roller 32 bearing upon a cam 33 fast on the cam shaft. Through the connections just described, the casing 23 and foot 22 are the uppermost sheet of the pile to a position in which it can be engaged by the sheet-forwarding foot .2. The downward movement of the foot 22 may be limited by an extension 34 of the arm 28 ment with an adjustable stop 35. The organs of the sheet-feeding unit, other than the sheet-feeding and sheet-separating feet, may be of known construction, and the following brief description of the constructional form of such organs included in the unit illustrated will therefore suflice to enable the operation of the said unit. to be understood. Referring particularly to Figures 2 and 3, the organs in question comprise a blower foot 36, a combing wheel 31 and a sheet supporting blade, not shown, carried at the lower end of a vertical rock shaft 38.

The blower foot 39 to the free end 4|. This shaft 4| 36 is pivotally connected at of an arm 40 fast on a shaft is also provided with an upstanding arm 42 carrying a roller 43 co-operating with a cam 44. A plate 45 operatively fast to the foot 36 extends upwardly therefrom with its rear edge in contact with a fixed rod 46 projecting laterally from the casing A. A spring 41, anchored at one end toa pin 48 on the plate 45 and at the other end to a pin 49 on an extension of the arm 40, serves to keep the plate 45 in contact with the rod46. The plate 45 is formed with a cam surface 45 which, by conis raised by the action of the cam 44, serves to tilt the foot 36 rearwardly about its pivot 39.

The combing wheel 31 is carried on the end of a spindle 50 rotatable in a bracket 5| secured to a sleeve 52 surrounding a shaft 29 and provided with an arm 53 carrying a" roller 54 held in contact with a cam 55 by a spring 56, acting on the bracket 5| through a pivot lever 51 and link 58. The shaft 29 is geared to the-cam shaft fl, and drives the combing wheel in known manner through bevel gears.

spring I], and causes -hereinbefore described coming into engagev ceding sheet towards a 2,080,010 which normally holds the piston against a stop The sleeve 52 also carries an arm 59 connected by a link 60 with the vertical rock shaft 38, which is thereby rocked in unison with the raising and lowering of the combing wheel,. to bring the before-mentioned sheet supporting blade out of and into the sheet pile beneath the combing wheel.

It will now be understood that two units A, A each embodying organs such as those described, arranged at opposite sides of the pile F as indicated in figure 5, serve to separate successive uppermost sheets from the pile and to feed them forward one under another.

The employment of separate sheet-feeding feet in conjunction with means for controlling the extent of the operative movements thereof and for tautening the sheets, ensures eflicient and easily controlled operation of the mechanism at high speeds. The particular apparatus and illustrated in the drawings, however, represents only one constructional form of. the mechanisms according to the invention, by which these results may be attained, and it is to be understood that various modifications of the devices may be adopted without departing from the invention. For example, the sheet-tauten'ing operation may be effect'ed mechanically instead of pneumatically, and the sheet-separating feet may be arranged to co-operate with the sheet-feeding feet and with other devices for assisting the separation of the sheets in any desired manner.

Having described our invention, we declare that what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:- I

1. In apparatus for separating sheets from a pile and advancing each sheet beneath a preceding sheet towards a printing combination of two sheet-separating suction feet near the rear edge of the pile operable to raise the uppermost sheet of the pile, two, sheet-feeding suction feet near the separating feet adapted to take each sheet from the sheet-separating feet, means adapted to reciprocate the sheet-feeding feet above the pile in one horizontal plane from and to the position sheets, and means adapted to vary the extent of reciprocation of at least one sheet-feeding foot independently of the other. 4

2. In apparatus for separating sheets from a pile and advancing each sheet beneath a preprinting machine, the

machine, the

.45 in which it receives the "1 combination of a sheet-separating suction foot Y operable near the rear edge of the pile to raise the uppermost sheet therefrom, a sheet-feeding suction foot above the pile adapted to take each sheet from the sheet-separating foot, means adapted to reciprocate the sheet feeding foot forwardly and backwardly above the pile in one norizontal plane andv means adapted to impart to the sheet-feeding the pile. v

3. Inapparatus for separating sheets from.a pile and advancing each sheet beneath a preceding sheet towards a printing machine, the combination of a sheet-separating suction foot operable near the rear edge of the pile to raise the uppermost sheet therefrom, a sheet-feeding suction foot above the pile adapted to take each sheet from the sheet-separating foot, means adapted to reciprocate the sheet-feeding foot forwardly and backwardly above the pile in one horizontal plane, means adapted to impart to. the sheet-feeding foot a movement laterally of the foot amovement laterally of' adapted to vary the extent of said lateral movement.

4. In apparatus for separating sheets from a pile and advancing each sheet beneath a preceding sheet towards a printing machine, the combination of a plurality of units operable near the rear edge of the pile each comprising a sheetseparating suction foot adapted to raise the uppermost sheet from the pile, a sheet-feeding suction foot above the pile adapted to take each sheet from the sheet-separating foot, means adapted to reciprocate the sheet-feeding foot above the pileln one horizontal plane from and to the position in which it receives the sheets, and means adapted to vary the extent of reciprocation of the sheet-feedingfoot, and a support extending transversely of the pile on which said units are mounted with a capacity for independent lateral adjustment.

5. In apparatus for separating sheets from a pile and advancing each sheet beneath a pretion of the sheet-feeding foot,

ceding sheet towards a printing machine. the combination of-a plurality of units operable near the rear edge of the pile each comprising a sheetseparating suction foot adapted to raise the uppermost sheet from the pile, a sheet-feeding suction foot above the'pile adapted to take each sheet from the sheet-separating foot, means adapted to reciprocate the sheet-feeding foot above the pile in one horizontal plane from and to the position in which it receives the sheets, means adapted to vary the extent of reciprocaa combing wheel, means for raising and lowering said combing wheel in relation to the pile, a blower foot and means for raising and lowering said blower foot in relation to the pile, and a support extending transversely of the pile on which said units are mounted with a capacity for independent lateral adjustment.

TOM ROWLANDS. JOHN SHU'I'I'LEWORTH. 

